Rally in Cardiff calls for cancer drug Afinitor on NHS

Around 80 people attended a rally outside the Senedd in Cardiff Bay to campaign for a potentially life-prolonging cancer drug to be made available in Wales.

Cancer sufferer Beth Margetson, 49, led supporters after the NHS denied her a course of Afinitor or Everolimus, which can cost close to £70,000.

The protest was arranged to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The Welsh government says it is committed to providing evidence based cost-effective treatments fairly to everyone but the drug is not routinely available in Wales as it is not recommended by the watchdog, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE)

The Welsh government spokesperson said: "All medicines that are not approved by NICE or the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group can be prescribed in Wales where clinical exceptionality can be demonstrated."